1983 New Orleans Saints season

1983 New Orleans Saints season
Head Coach	Bum Phillips
General Manager	Bum Phillips
Home Field	Louisiana Superdome
Results
Record	8–8
Place	3rd NFC West
Playoff Finish	did not qualify
Timeline
Previous season	Next season
1982	1984

The 1983 New Orleans Saints season was the team’s 17th as a member of the National Football League. They improved on their previous season’s output of 4–5, winning eight games. Despite the improvement, the team failed to qualify for the playoffs for the seventeenth consecutive season.

With an 8–7 record going into the final game of the season at the Superdome against the Los Angeles Rams, the Saints, with a win, would have finished with their first winning season and their first playoff berth. However, Rams kicker Mike Lansford kicked a 42-yard field goal with :06 left to defeat the Saints 26-24, and advance to the playoffs. Other than that field goal, the Rams did not score a single point on offense, instead scoring via a punt return for a touchdown, two interception returns for touchdowns, and a safety.

Two weeks earlier the Saints lost to the New England Patriots in shocking conditions with sleet and snow – with the only score being set up by Patriot Ricky Smith returning the initial kickoff to the 3-yard line. As of 2017, this game remains the most recent 7–0 result in NFL history, with only two games since seeing just one score, both a single field goal.

Another damaging loss came on Monday Night Football in week 12, when the New York Jets rallied from a 14-point deficit by scoring 17 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, capped off by a 76-yard punt return touchdown by Kirk Springs, to stun the Saints 31-28. The Saints had a chance to force overtime in the closing seconds, but Morten Andersen missed badly to the left on a 51-yard field goal attempt.

Offseason

NFL draft

Main article: 1983 NFL draft

1983 New Orleans Saints draft
Round	Pick	Player	Position	College	Notes
2	38	Steve Korte	Center	Arkansas
3	65	John Tice	Tight end	Maryland
3	66	Cliff Austin	Running back	Clemson
4	98	Gary Lewis	Defensive tackle	Oklahoma State
8	206	David Greenwood	Defensive back	Wisconsin
Made roster

Personnel

Staff

1983 New Orleans Saints staff
	Front office Owner – John Mecom, Jr. President – Eddie Jones Director of Football Operations – Pat Peppler Head coaches Head Coach/General Manager – Bum Phillips Offensive coaches Offensive Coordinator – King Hill Offensive Backfield – John Levra Receivers – Lamar McHan Offensive Line – Carl Mauck Quality Control – Joe Spencer			Defensive coaches Defensive Coordinator – Wade Phillips Defensive Line – Willie Zapalac Linebackers – John Paul Young Defensive Backfield – Lance Van Zandt Special teams coaches Special Teams – Harold Richardson Strength and conditioning Strength and Conditioning – Russell Paternostro

Roster

1983 New Orleans Saints roster
	Quarterbacks 19 Guido Merkens 16 Ken Stabler 18 Dave Wilson Running backs 46 Hokie Gajan 38 George Rogers 30 Wayne Wilson Wide receivers 83 Kenny Duckett 88 Eugene Goodlow 86 Jeff Groth 84 Rich Mauti 80 Lindsay Scott Tight ends 85 Hoby Brenner 87 Larry Hardy 82 John Tice		Offensive linemen 67 Stan Brock T 78 Kelvin Clark T 63 Brad Edelman G 72 Leon Gray 62 John Hill C 60 Steve Korte G 64 Dave Lafary T 68 Louis Oubre G Defensive linemen 75 Bruce Clark DE 99 Tony Elliott NT 98 Reggie Lewis DE 74 Derland Moore NT 73 Frank Warren DE 94 Jim Wilks		Linebackers 57 Rickey Jackson OLB 52 Jim Kovach ILB 51 Whitney Paul OLB 53 Scott Pelluer 58 Glen Redd 56 Dennis Winston ILB Defensive backs 20 Russell Gary SS 25 Johnnie Poe CB 49 Frank Wattelet FS 44 Dave Waymer CB Special teams  7 Morten Andersen K 14 Russell Erxleben P		Reserve lists {{{reserve_lists}}} Practice squad {{{practice_squad}}} Rookies in italics

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Attendance
1	September 4, 1983	St. Louis Cardinals	W 28–17	60,430
2	September 11, 1983	at Los Angeles Rams	L 30–27	45,572
3	September 18, 1983	Chicago Bears	W 34–31	64,692
4	September 25, 1983	at Dallas Cowboys	L 21–20	62,136
5	October 2, 1983	Miami Dolphins	W 17–7	66,489
6	October 9, 1983	at Atlanta Falcons	W 19–17	51,654
7	October 16, 1983	San Francisco 49ers	L 32–13	68,154
8	October 23, 1983	at Tampa Bay Buccaneers	W 24–21	48,242
9	October 30, 1983	at Buffalo Bills	L 27–21	49,413
10	November 6, 1983	Atlanta Falcons	W 27–10	67,062
11	November 13, 1983	at San Francisco 49ers	L 27–0	40,022
12	November 21, 1983	New York Jets	L 31–28	68,606
13	November 27, 1983	Minnesota Vikings	W 17–16	59,502
14	December 4, 1983	at New England Patriots	L 7–0	24,579
15	December 11, 1983	at Philadelphia Eagles	W 20–17	45,182
16	December 18, 1983	Los Angeles Rams	L 26–24	70,148

Standings

NFC West
	W	L	T	PCT	PF	PA	STK
San Francisco 49ers	10	6	0	.625	432	293	W3
Los Angeles Rams	9	7	0	.563	361	344	W1
New Orleans Saints	8	8	0	.500	319	337	L1
Atlanta Falcons	7	9	0	.438	370	389	W1